Holding on to Hope
by dogluvr1989
Summary: My first fic EVER! It's a tad short, but it's enough to get this out of my head. Jonas and Gabe begin to lose hope as they wander around aimlessly. It doesn't provide an end to the story though... Please R&R!!


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Holding On To Hope by dogluvr1989

Disclaimer: The characters and situations don't belong to me. They are all the property of Lois Lowery. Sometimes I wonder why these are required. Most people who go to fan-fiction understand. But, alas, this must be preparation in case someone who doesn't understand fan-fiction could come along and somehow read _this_ story.

Hope everyone likes it. It's my very first fan-fiction so it sucks. It's really small to…

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Jonas shuddered and held Gabe more closely. He fell to his knees and listened to what must be music. He tried to grasp what shreds of memory remained. Nothing. It was all gone. He looked at the lights before him, gaining strength through his motivation. Jonas stood up.

"We'll make it, Gabe. Don't worry," he said, stroking the new-child's head gently.

He moved through the snow leaving a steady track behind him. As the distant lights drew nearer, the music grew louder. He heard a clanging noise. It didn't seem familiar, but somehow he perceived it to be the sound of bells. His pace quickened as hope bloomed inside him. The music called to him. He could hear voices singing the words, though they were still just a mumble. Jonas concentrated on the lights and music. With ever step he took, hope grew. The snow began to seem like a small obstacle. Though his body was numb and stinging, he knew that he would make it. Gabe shared the same hope. He had stopped crying and remained calm in Jonas's tunic. 

The lights from the windows drew nearer, nearer, and nearer still. Suddenly, Jonas slipped and fell to the ground. He attempted to keep his body up so he wouldn't crush Gabe. The snow stung his hands and his knees as it melted and soaked through his pants. Jonas felt the cold sting his chest and realized Gabe was crying. His tunic had filled with snow. Jonas pulled Gabe out and brushed him off. He embraced Gabe and tried to concentrate on the music, but he couldn't. The music wasn't there. It had stopped. Jonas looked around him. He was halfway up a hill beside his father's bicycle.

"No. This can't be. It wasn't a dream…was it?" he said, half to himself, standing up.

Jonas eyes began to blur with tears. He had passed out on the hill. The hope, the strength, the motivation, it was all gone. All that remained were the shreds of his dream. He suddenly began to feel truly cold. Not just over his frostbitten skin, but inside. Cold penetrated him. The warmth of hope iced over. Jonas felt as though a rock had dropped in his stomach. All that he had thought he found was lost.

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Maybe I was wrong, he thought, tearfully, _Maybe there aren't other worlds outside the communities. Maybe I just brought us out here…to die._ A tear ran down Jonas's face and slid down Gabriel's head.

"We can't give up, Gabe," he said, "We can't just die out here."

The new-child looked up at him with his big, pale eyes. Jonas gave him a small smile and tucked him back in his tunic. Jonas proceeded to climb the hill, the cold of the snow stinging his ankles. When he reached the top, there was no sled. 

A gust of frigid wind swept over causing Jonas and Gabe to shiver. Jonas studied Gabe. His face was powdered with snow and dirt. The whites of his large, innocent eyes were pink, and his face was tear streaked. His light brown hair was matted, dirty, and wet. The sight restored Jonas's sense of purpose. He looked down the glistening, snow-covered hill and knew that they must go on.

It seemed forever as he stomped through the snow of the hill, skidding occasionally. When they reached the bottom, Jonas listened hard. The silence of nothing. He looked up. Hills of snow. No lights, no merry music. Jonas bowed his head as another gust of wind swept through. He stood thoughtful for a moment, contemplating his dream.

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Can it even be classified as a dream? In my situation, it seems to be more of a nightmare. My thoughts were taunting me. It all seemed too real, so true. I can never trust my own mind again. How do I know that this isn't a dream? How do I know that I'm not still near the town? This could all be some horrible nightmare. I just want to wake up. How can all this be happening?

Jonas squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them. It was all the same.

Gabriel cooed softly against his chest. He was deep in sleep.

Jonas looked over the glistening hilltops.

"It's out there somewhere, Gabe. Somewhere."

The sun was setting and cast an orange-red glow over the snow. Jonas took in the beautiful sight, and was happy to still see color. He took in a deep breath as the sun dropped below the horizon. He exhaled, the air steaming in front of his mouth, and headed towards the setting sun.

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I don't know where we're going, but we'll get there, he told himself, _as long as we hold on to hope._

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Please R&R! I don't care if you say it sucks, I just want some feedback! I'll take it as a compliment that you want to improve my writing, just like the thing said ^_^ Thanks for reading, it means a lot to me!! If you like it and want me to actually END the story, not add to the confusion, I'll make a sequel! ^-^


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